| Author | Message | ||
     Cmmagnussen |
I am planning a vacation second weekend of April, plan is to load 5-6 bikes into a trailer, leave NY at 11:30 pm drive south for 12 or so hours unload and ride around for a few days. Destination/Base camp are still up in the air due to weather so I may setup camp in TN or NC. Anyone have any suggestions for roads or lodging in those states? Was looking at Airbnb but I am having difficulty finding places that I can park a Crew cab and 24' trailer at. So I am still looking at campgrounds and state parks with cabins. bikercamps.com went down just in time for the trip, sucks it was a pretty good resource. | ||
| Glitch |
https://twowheelsofsuches.com/ Too bad we'll miss you http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/406 2/845326.html?1553394623 | ||
| Crusty |
I have two suggestions. First, and my first choice is to ride down to Two Wheels of Suches 1915 GA-60, Suches, GA 30572 The roads around the area are wonderful; Wolf Pen Gap, Blood Mountain and the Richard B. Russell Parkway are all great rides. The staff at TWoS are accustomed to having people pull up with haulers and they have a loading/unloading ramp in the hauler parking area. Their lodging is good and very reasonably priced. Second choice is the Iron Horse Motorcycle Lodge & Resort 1755 Lower Stecoah Rd. Stecoah, NC 28771. They also are used to folks with haulers and they're situated close to Deal's Gap, the Cherohala Skyway and it's not too far from the foothills Parkway. Both locations are good, but Two Wheels is better in my opinion. | ||
| Cmmagnussen |
Iron horse is 12 hours out so thats workable TWoS is a little over 14 hours might be pushing it. I really need to make a Badweb trip one of these days the badness trip looks appealing. Was looking at this one http://switchbackcreek.com/ but northern TN seems to be holding on to the cold right now. | ||
| Buellish |
Iron Horse tends to get booked up so you need to check with them early. | ||
| 86129squids |
A New Yawker worried about TN cold?  Sorry had to  atcha... What Crusty said- TWoS is fantastic, and although I live in E TN, I've not been to Ironhorse yet. Always heard good things though. Western NC is awesome in general, you might check out Hot Springs, Little Switzerland (a Badweb fave), Maggie Valley (be sure to check out Wheels Through Time, not on Tuesdays though), and just scan up/down the Blue Ridge Parkway for scads of great places. IIRC Mount Pisgah may have cabins. Some say the southern section of the BRP below/around Asheville is the best. Asheville and Black Mountain NC are great to visit. Robbinsville NC, Waynesville NC, Blowing Rock/Lake Lure... there are too many great places. Indian casino in Cherokee- as I type this, my sweetie and her brother are there working the penny machines. Don't miss the Cherohala, between Robbinsville NC and Tellico Plains, TN. Try to hit Tellico Grains Bakery Tuesday-Saturday for a killer lunch. A side sight off the Cherohala is Bald River Falls, very nice. Whew. You're in for a great time, buddy- once plans firm up, shoot me a PM and I'd be happy to show you around. | ||
| 86129squids |
Also- if you make it to Tellico Plains, fire up the GPS to find Reliance, TN. The roads to/from there are great, the Hiawassee River is one of the coldest and cleanest in the world- great for trout fishing and rafting (when it's warm.) | ||
| Tootal |
https://www.motorcycleroads.org/eastern-us-rides/n ortheast-georgia-mountains/ This shows some great rides in N. Georgia but Eastern Tenn. is a great place to start your ride. If you decide to ride The Dragon, (129), and everybody should, it will take you to several of the rides on this site. All info above is right on. I had a friend in Ellijay Georgia and he and I used to ride this area all the time. It's why he moved there!! | ||
| 86129squids |
CAUTION: Deal's Gap is in my "backyard", so to speak- I avoid it on weekends. It has become so popular that it's covered up with about every species of moron. Jackass squids hauling a$$ and no brain, cruisers who've never seen a curve, RV'ers, and tuner car club a$$hats. Even bicyclists! I worked the rental counter at Smoky Mountain HD/Buell, I can tell you about wadded bikes and much worse. STAY FAR CLEAR OF THE DOUBLE YELLOW. Lifestar stays busy around here.  That said, it's best enjoyed late in the day, or in the AM after the dew has evaporated. It IS fun under the right circumstances. | ||
| Tootal |
I've found Wednesday's to be the best day. | ||
| Cmmagnussen |
This New Yawker belongs in the Arizona desert somewhere the melt/freeze cycle has gotten old. Ill keep looking at that border strip, it looks like Id have to take up residency for a couple years to tour it all. Avoiding Deals Gap like the plague, once a circuit gets that much publicity it turns into a tourist trap, this one has the added bonus of getting you killed by some dunce hauling a camper. There is always a road just as good or better that everyone has forgotten about. | ||
| Akbuell |
I actually enjoy the Dragon. When I go depends on my plan. If to actually ride it, I go during the middle of the week. If I go on a weekend, it is to browse the lot, talk to folks, and see what is in the parking lot. Lots of cool bikes, nice folks, and watching bozos be bozos. Either visit involves NC 28 from US 74 to Deals Gap. A great ride, no bozos. | ||
| Tootal |
Either visit involves NC 28 from US 74 to Deals Gap. A great ride, no bozos. Exactly right. Go in the middle of the week and then enjoy the store and the tree of shame then make the left at the fork for 28. One of my faves too! | ||
| 86129squids |
Greg and AK are correct. Don't avoid it just because of my earlier post. There's a reason I chose my BW moniker. I ran my XB9SX like a rented mule, up and down TN 129, learned those curves on the best machine. Well, I actually learned it on an '82 R65, spanked lots of CBR600 punks... once ran it with a German, riding his BMW, showed him the way. Anyhoo, the Buell takes a 48 degree lean to drag the pegs... On a great day, Deal's Gap is nirvana. I prefer running north. Best advice- run it slowish both ways, observe everything, especially the road, then wick it up. Gravity Cavity is my favorite curve running south. Then, the twisties that finish the run into NC. Then, rolling into the parking lot to rest and hang. Look up Hellbender- IIRC that's NC28. If you wanna visit Fontana Dam, or are a fan (who isn't?!?!) of "The Fugitive", that'll take you there. Hope this helps. |
